Delhi weather today: Brace for 50°C feel-like temperature as monsoon misses date with national capital

Delhi Weather Today: Residents of Delhi are expected to experience partly cloudy skies, strong surface winds and possible thunderstorm activity on Sunday as the city continues to reel under intense heat and humidity. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast windy conditions during the day, while temperatures are likely to remain between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius.

The weather department said partly cloudy skies are expected to persist throughout the day, with the possibility of thunderstorm development towards the afternoon or evening. Strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, occasionally gusting up to 40 kmph, are also likely.

Delhi Records Scorching Feel-Like Temperature

Despite the maximum temperature settling at 41.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday, Delhi felt significantly hotter due to high humidity levels. According to the IMD, the heat index, or "feels like" temperature, touched 48.4 degrees Celsius.


Another weather assessment reported that the feel-like temperature reached 51.3 degrees Celsius at around 2:30 pm on Saturday, making it the highest heat index recorded this season. Earlier peaks of 48.2 degrees Celsius were recorded on May 28 and June 10.

Meteorologists attributed the extreme discomfort to elevated humidity levels. At 2:30 pm on Saturday, relative humidity stood at 45 per cent.

Temperatures Remain Above Normal

Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 41.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was 4.1 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature settled at 30.8 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees above the seasonal average.

Other weather stations also reported warm conditions. Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 28.4 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road registered 29.8 degrees Celsius. Ridge and Ayanagar recorded minimum temperatures of 26.8 degrees Celsius and 29.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The IMD expects the minimum temperature on Sunday to remain between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Rain and Thunderstorm Alert for Next Week

While only trace rainfall was recorded in parts of Delhi during the early hours of Saturday, the weather department has predicted a change in conditions next week.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasting rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds. Very light to light rainfall is expected over the coming days, with weather activity likely to intensify during the middle of the week.

According to the forecast, the maximum temperature may gradually decline from 39-41 degrees Celsius on Sunday to 35-37 degrees Celsius by Wednesday.

Monsoon Yet to Arrive in Delhi

Delhi has missed its normal southwest monsoon onset date of June 27. The IMD has not yet announced an expected arrival date for the monsoon in the national capital.

However, the department said conditions are becoming favourable for further advancement of the southwest monsoon into additional parts of north and central India over the next few days.

Delhi Air Quality Remains Moderate

Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality continued to remain in the "moderate" category on Saturday. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 130.